Lambocop Stalks Italian Speeders

By Jerry Garrett
Lamborghini GallardoA Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, in Italian state police trim.

Italian motorists have a hard-earned and, in my experience, a much-deserved reputation for recklessness, general anarchy and driving well in excess of posted speed limits on the country’s highways, byways and autostradas.

It seems only fair that the Italian version of the highway patrol has been armed by Lamborghini with the world’s fastest police car. The automaker has just presented the latest version of its Gallardo LP560-4 sports car, all tricked out in law enforcement trim, to the Italian state police.

In addition to catching speeders, the 2009 Gallardo has been outfitted with a video surveillance camera, gun racks, GPS, organ transplant cooler (in the luggage compartment) and defibrillator.

This version of the Gallardo produces 560 horsepower and has a top speed of 203 miles an hour. It actually replaces an older, slower (just 180 m.p.h. or so) Gallardo that had seen some 87,000 miles of service around Rome since 2004. No doubt all of those miles were used on official police business, right?

Well, it seems the car did somehow manage to show up in New York City in 2005 for the Columbus Day parade.

A third blue-light Gallardo has been patrolling in the Bologna region of north central Italy the past three years. It only has 62,000 miles on its odometer.

Informant’s tip: Watch out for the new Gallardo patrolling the A3 Autostrada between Salerno and Reggio Calabria in southern Italy.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

Grandpa to Brandon October 27, 2008 · 6:56 pm

Imagine trying to outrun this!

Grandpa

Lyle Vos October 27, 2008 · 6:59 pm

As a Gallardo owner, I am surprised that the police would find this vehicle to be useful. Nearly every week tiny orange faced girls from the outer boroughs driving their Tahoes and Escalades cut me off because my vehicle is below their sightline.

Lindsey Randal Potts October 27, 2008 · 7:02 pm

I wonder how the department decides who gets to drive it?

Doug Ed October 27, 2008 · 7:09 pm

Check out the police car!! Glad they don’t drive it in Detroit. I’m off Tues & Wed
Jeff

mark green October 27, 2008 · 7:12 pm

Great incentive to become a cop in Italy! Sue

booyakasha October 27, 2008 · 7:29 pm

oooh, this transplant organs’ cooler = be quickly at the accident scene, take what’s worth, speed back to the market

sandi October 27, 2008 · 8:14 pm

Now that is style!

Comment to #2, I don’t think Italy’s highways and streets are dominated by SUVs as they are in America.

Max Spencer October 27, 2008 · 8:31 pm

Second comment to # 2. Your comment is missing something in not telling readers what vehicle you were driving when you were cut off.

Yeaux October 27, 2008 · 8:38 pm

Do they feature a donut receptacle?

Menno Aartsen October 27, 2008 · 8:39 pm

I don’t think Italy has States, that would be the National Police.

ATL Guy October 27, 2008 · 8:42 pm

Hot, very hot. I’ll marry anyone to own one of these.

George Haig Brewster October 27, 2008 · 8:49 pm

It’s true – during a ten-day drive around northern Italy a couple of years ago, I hardly saw a single SUV, except for in the mountains or quiet rural areas. They use those things for what they were intended for, unlike us. But they sure like their fast cars, and they drive those in the way they were intended, too…

Bea Gallardo October 27, 2008 · 9:07 pm

What an honor to have a car named after us.!!!!!!!!
We have a small replica of the Lamborghini Gallardo. It was the last one that was in KC Sams Store. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!
Alex & Bea Gallardo Jr.

Andrew October 27, 2008 · 9:15 pm

Ah Lyle, arrogance and ignorance all rolled into one. Anyway, sweet police car.

R. Elgin October 27, 2008 · 9:23 pm

I wonder if Laura and Vincenzo are still driving this (polizia). They were an amusing odd-couple.

Giancarlo Carlucci October 27, 2008 · 9:50 pm

Menno – Italy doesn’t have states, but a state is also a country. In Italy, they are called the Polizia di Stato, literally ‘state police’.

Kat October 27, 2008 · 10:17 pm

Now that is awesome!

Ben October 28, 2008 · 12:18 am

The headline should read: “Lambocop stalks Italian women”

Drew October 28, 2008 · 9:52 am

As a Gallardo owner, I am surprised that the police would find this vehicle to be useful. Nearly every week tiny orange faced girls from the outer boroughs driving their Tahoes and Escalades cut me off because my vehicle is below their sightline.

— Lyle Vos

As a Gallardo owner how he he!! are driving that thing that you let tiny orange faced girls cut you off. I have a Subaru that sits a little higher…ill trade ya straight up.

Robert Witham October 28, 2008 · 11:56 am

This makes the New York State Police Mustangs and Camaro’s look so dull and uninspiring…

That would have to be a fun ride though. A Lamborghini with emergency lights…

Andrew October 28, 2008 · 12:05 pm

World’s first Lambo with a gun rack!

Murray Bodin October 28, 2008 · 3:37 pm

Is the NY Times a fantasy magazine? Do your readers relate to the expensive cars you show? I ask this because I am concerned with declining readership. You need to publish articles that us people with retirement accounts that went south can relate to.

stephen mallon October 28, 2008 · 3:44 pm

as a non- gallardo owner i have very little sympathy for you mr. vos unless you want to give me a ride! god those cars are cool

yea, they should mount some semi auto 50mm cannons on that , add a wing and you could shoot down speeders from the sky!

Al October 28, 2008 · 3:45 pm

This beats the M5 police cars in Germany. –Until you need to bring a perp into custody.

Gary October 28, 2008 · 4:07 pm

The New York State Police are getting a ZR1 (dust that raging bull)…
Lyle – is that “Vos” or “Pus” – take off the orange-colored glasses and DRIVE the damn Lambo – if you need lessons, contact me, I’ll teach you how to do so…
I think it’s, “Italian Women Stalk LamboCop”…